


Thou Tea-Chest

by ShahbanouScheherazade



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Genre: Comedy, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-25
Updated: 2013-08-25
Packaged: 2017-12-24 15:59:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/941833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShahbanouScheherazade/pseuds/ShahbanouScheherazade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before the Pearl reaches Isla de Muerta, Pintel teaches Ragetti to read tea leaves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thou Tea-Chest

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a response to challenge prompt "tea" for the FF-forum community The Black Pearl.
> 
> Disclaimer: I have no claim whatsoever to any of the brilliant POTC characters; I am grateful to be sitting at a banquet table set by truly talented storytellers.

Before he had reached the lower courses in the ratline, Pintel spotted Ragetti on the deck, beckoning excitedly.

"It's ready!" Ragetti announced in a conspiratorial whisper, as Pintel stepped off the rigging. "It's in the for'ard 'old. Got it last year from me old messmate, an' 'e took it off the ship of Black Bart 'imself – from the cap'n's personal stores!"

The two friends went furtively below deck, avoiding Barbossa's sharp eyes. They made their way into a corner of the hold, and there it was, just as Ragetti had poured it – a still-warm cup of tea and an ebony tea chest, arranged on a large crate.

"I 'ave to drink it down, but not the leaves – that's wot makes them pictures," Ragetti instructed his friend. He took a square of folded parchment from the tea chest and handed it to Pintel. "An' this is wot you've to read to me, so's I can find out wot they means." He grinned, and added, "This way, you an' me'll find out for sure whether we're going to get Cortez's gold medallions or not!"

Pintel took the document reluctantly. Although he had never actually claimed to be able to read, he had always allowed Ragetti to assume that he could. There seemed no way to avoid Ragetti's request, but perhaps he could bluff his way through the fortune-telling without admitting that he was as unlettered as his friend. He opened the parchment and pretended to study the words.

There were numerous small pictures and each one had a line or two of writing next to it. He assumed a knowledgeable expression. "Right," he said. "I'll do the... the..."

"Tasseology," Ragetti said helpfully. "That's wot they calls it."

"I know that!" retorted Pintel. "Well? Go on, then: drink it off."

Ragetti raised the cup and drank the tea carefully, but without lowering the cup until he had drained it. Then the two pirates peered into the empty cup at the tiny clumps of tea leaves stuck to its sides.

"I think that's a bird, there," Ragetti ventured, pointing.

Pintel agreed; it was most certainly a bird. Pretending to consult the document, he noticed an inky image of a bird on the wing. Had he been able to read, the text next to it would have informed him that "A man will return after a long journey."

"Ay, that bird be a sparrow, meanin' Cap'n Jack," Pintel announced, "an' it means 'e's flown away t' Fiddler's Green, an' won't be comin' back again."

Ragetti smiled delightedly. "Won't be back," he sniggered.

They studied the cup again. "An' that," Ragetti pointed to another clump, "That looks like a dagger an' a ball – no! I think it's a coin! Maybe it's the medallions!" He looked at Pintel, who had resorted to the document again.

Next to the image of a coin and dagger, the text read, "A dangerous venture to acquire money will bring disaster." Pintel squinted at it as though he were reading, then said, "Why, that's the sword of old Cortez 'imself, pointin' to 'is treasure!"

"Treasure . . . 'E means for us to 'ave it!" rejoined Ragetti, gleefully. Then his expression turned to one of fear. "But wot's that one there – that looks like . . . like the angel o' death!"

Pintel looked at the leaves and felt a nasty shock; they did indeed resemble a death's head. He quickly dropped the document, which skidded away on the floor. As Ragetti dove after it, Pintel used his thumb to wipe the offending leaves from the cup.

Ragetti retrieved the parchment and handed it back to his friend. Pintel glanced briefly at the drawing of the death's head and its description, "A malicious deed will bring a terrible curse." Then he looked into the cup again.

"I don't see no angel o' death," he said to Ragetti.

His friend studied the cup with his good eye. "Hmph," Ragetti said, rather puzzled. "Seems t' be gone. I s'pose it were one o' them 'allucinations."

"Seen enough?" asked Pintel. "It looks like we're in a fair way to make our fortunes on this voyage."

Ragetti nodded. "I'll fetch Cap'n Barbossa," he said, jumping to his feet. "He won't be half pleased to see this! 'E might even give us extra shares, for bringin' 'im good news!"

Alarmed, Pintel caught Ragetti by the tail of his shirt.

"Wait - ye can't do that," he cautioned.

"Why not?" Ragetti looked confused. "Ain't that wot it said?"

"Oh, ay," answered Pintel. "It's only that . . ." he thought quickly, and suddenly hit upon a reason. "It's, uh . . . in French! It's in French an' the cap'n don't read French, so . . . 'e might feel we was gettin' above ourselves, talkin' to 'im about things 'e don' know. Best keep it to ourselves for now."

Ragetti nodded. "Yeah, keep it to ourselves," he conceded, yielding to Pintel's superior reasoning ability. Then he grinned. "Pity, though – I'd 'ave loved t' see 'is face when everything we'd told 'im came true!"


End file.
